


Bloodied Ink

by Starlight_Requiem



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: 1920s and 1930s, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Where The Ink Dwells AU Part 1, Angst, Arguements, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, By the way when I say no one I mean Sammy, Closeted Character, Dark Magic, Don’t look at me, Everything Hurts, Extremely Dark, F/M, Forced Eye Contact, Forced French Kissing, Forced Masturbation, Friends to Enemies, Frottage, Hatred, Heavy Angst, Henry created Alice, Henry just wants to be with Susie o o f, I Ship It, I don’t ship Sammy and Susie, I heckin love Wally Franks ok, IT’S AN AU TYPE THING YA’LL, JOEY NEEDS TO STOP, Joey Being Creepy, Joey Drew Is Trash, Joey Drew Studios, Joey Hates Walt Disney, Joey honestly only likes Henry, Joey is an absolute madman and needs to be stopped, Joey only likes Henry, M/M, Male Slash, Most of the chapters are named after lyrics from BATIM songs lmao, Murray Hill is included but only in Chapter 2, No one likes Joey because he’s an optimistic prick with unreasonable expectations, Not Canon Compliant, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Obsessive Behavior, Occult, Oh golly gosh why am I writing this, One-Sided Attraction, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Please Kill Me, Poor Everyone, Poor Henry, Poor Life Choices, Possessive Behavior, Rituals, Sammy has unusual preferences in women, Sorry Not Sorry, Susie Is Nuts, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Unrequited Love, What Have I Done, w e e p s
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 18:16:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13529865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlight_Requiem/pseuds/Starlight_Requiem
Summary: For those that paid attention, almost everyone noticed the way Joey looked at Henry.Everyone, that is, except Henry.xxxJoey Drew is considered a dreamer, someone with big plans for his animation company to flourish and become popular worldwide. He enlisted his best friend to help him achieve his goal - after all, what kind of friendship would be built on neglect?But Henry gets in over his head when Joey’s behavior changes for the worse when his intentions spiral out of control, and into a maddening obsession.And no matter how hard Henry tries to get free once he’s caught, he feels the ink from that accursed machine pulling him down into the murky abyss.He had to warn everyone of Joey Drew’s true plans.Before it’s too late.





	Bloodied Ink

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: So, uh, henlo.
> 
> This is a story involving my BATIM AU. I hope you guys enjoy and that it gets attention.
> 
> The first chapter starts off slow, but I guarantee it will get better.

* * *

_There's nothing wrong with dreaming. Wishing for the impossible is just human nature. That's how I got it started. Just a pencil and a dream. We all want everything without even having to lift a finger. They say you just have to believe._

_Belief can make you succeed. Belief can make you rich. Belief can make you powerful._

_Why with enough belief, you can even cheat death itself._

_Now that... is a beautiful, and positively silly thought._  
_-Joey Drew_

* * *

Joey Drew was a man who always had a positive attitude on life.

It didn’t matter what he was talking about, or what sort of stress he was under: he was ready to greet everyone and almost everything with a smile. He had dreams in his head and stars in his eyes and ambitions swelling in his chest. He was the kind of man who never let go of his childhood whimsy and seemed enchanted with life itself.

So what if one of his feet was of rather dubious quality, the disability reducing him to crutches, canes, and wheelchairs? He didn’t care. No damn club foot in the universe could stop Joseph Mortimer Drew, and his dreams of being one of the most famous cartoon creators in the animation industry.

Better than Fleischer.

And, with some luck, he might surpass Walt Disney. Although he did have a few metaphorical roadblocks preventing him from accomplishing what he wished.  
Bendy the dancing demon wasn’t exactly a big hit with television viewers at first, in fact far from it by some extremist Christian group he hadn’t bothered to learn the name of.

That had been a field day when they’d shown up at Joey Drew Studios to protest the cartoon he’d poured sweat and tears into creating; what did it matter if there were a couple scenes including hellish imagery and cartoonish torture? _The Bendy Show_ wasn’t bad and was intended for people of all ages, and to prove his point, Joey had attempted to let them see one of their episodes. He was nice. Their entire group should’ve been grateful. 

But they’d complained and acted like he and the entire staff were promoting satanism and Joey would’ve burnt down their signs and posters, but stopped when Henry intervened in his calm method of handling chaos.  
He was actually glad his long time and close friend intervened. 

Ah, Henry…

The unconditional support he’d received from Henry meant that there wasn’t much Joey wouldn’t tell him. Having met as children one day at lunch at school when Joey threw a chicken nugget at Henry’s head, they survived the worst bullies high and middle school forced them to endure, and stood as constant supports to one another and as their plans for a studio finally were made, the two boys had long since been inseparable.

Secrets were shared, hopes and dreams were exchanged, and on the few occasions that Joey got into trouble, it had always been Henry to bail him out of one or more sticky situations. 

Joey watched how hard Henry worked as the studio’s head animator; and saw how much he adored the characters he drew, day after day. 

He knew that he so often took more from his friend than he gave back, and never showed gratitude, which he knew wasn’t the morally right thing to do. They’d started this business as partners, and it became noticeably apparent Joey took credit for all of Henry’s hard efforts.

All in all, he was a terrible friend, but he could remedy that, he rectify his mistakes. He could give him something special….a gift that couldn’t be returned or refunded.

A marvelous, wonderful idea manifested itself, and Joey looked through the clutter of Bendy merch on his desk for a pen and paper he knew was buried underneath all the odds and ends. So many possibilities and new, wonderful chances to outshine the giants of other businesses whirled haphazardly through his brain, so much so, he couldn’t keep up and forced his body to relax and take a breather.

“Don’t get carried away. Just write and sketch down the basics. After all, it’s going to be a step by step process just like animating.”

Did his neverending dream to make the impossible possible appeal to his reckless side? Yes, most definitely. Would his loyal staff have complaints when he revealed his latest undertaking? You betcha. Especially Sammy Lawrence, but who gave two flying fucks what the uptight music director thought?

Sammy’s opinion of his project was insignificant, and any sort of whining would only cause conflict and a headache for Joey in the long run. Sammy Lawrence was someone who didn’t see things eye to eye with Joey Drew and spoke his opinion on everything, and drove him up a damn wall.

He hired Sammy for a job, not to be a introverted whiny piece of shit; it was a good thing he was skilled or Joey could’ve booted him back on the streets. This wasn’t about him, anyway. This was about Henry.

If he could pull off this entire operation and if things ran smoothly, Henry would have everything and anything he wanted.

_I’m doing this for you.  
All for you._

* * *

“Shit. Fuck. I did it again. Not again. I did it again. Just when I thought I was so close to done...”

Henry drank sugar in the caffeinated drink and no questions were asked with no one the wiser. He could say he was testing fate when he decided to add two, or three, or even four drops to the coffee.

Henry barely registered the lights dimming, and the rustle of people and papers as he worked until all noise stopped. His hand gripped the table to halt his trembling wrist, head falling forward tiredly. In the last five minutes, he put his pencil down briefly to stretch his fingers. He shouldn't have drank so much coffee, and sighed dejectedly and watched the ink soak from the overturned bottle and into the papers he’d kept stacked neatly on his desk.

If he really was going to take this vacation he needed to get these storyboards done soon, and a head start was imperative.  
It had been a long and stressful struggle, they had finally convinced the producers to keep their cartoon on air.

To give the ratings that extra boost, Henry decided to create a character as a mirror to Bendy, some might say a Minnie Mouse to Mickey Mouse. But Alice would not be a damsel in distress, nor would be Bendy’s romantic interest. She would serve to be his foil.  

The show of course would remain with the same silly antics and humor, but it would be a mix of whacky and crazy for the kids and on a more balanced and semi flirty side when involving hopefully a well received addition to the cast. Once getting an image for what he was going for with inspiration and development from Susie Campbell, he’d explained his idea to Joey, and thus, Alice Angel was born. 

This next episode had to be exactly what they’d promised. It hadn't been long since they’d introduced her, and she had a lot of untapped potential.

Henry wanted to include her as soon as possible, but Joey said they'd need to brainstorm a bit first before completely involving her into the realm of the show and figuring out how to have her interact with Bendy and what role she’d play in the episodes. 

Thinking was proving difficult and he sensed blackness come over his mind. Like a blanket, but not a blanket of warmth but a blanket of coldness making a shiver run through his body. But somehow was making his eyes feel heavier and heavier with the temptation of sleep. In the haze of his deprived state, a hand at first lightly pressed down on his shoulders, then the grip increased preceded by a gentle shake.

Henry hardly bothered to mull about the characteristically weirdness of the person behind him draping his body against his back and felt Joey’s arm wrap around his shoulders. The closeness of his boss didn’t concern him - Joey always enjoyed huddling up to the taller man’s side when they were children, whether it was for comfort for his bad leg, Henry didn’t give his behavior any thought.

“Oh...uh…sorry...” he mumbled and relaxed into his touch. “I made another mess...I’ll clean it up-“

Joey’s fingers slid through Henry’s short brown hair and settled soothingly to rub small circles up and down on the base of his spine. Henry shuddered.

“No. You do enough as it is. What you need to do is go and get sleep after I take you home.”

“I’ve pulled an all nighter before. I‘ll be fine. Besides, I’ve only got to re-draw this scene…”

Of course he’d say something like that - typical Henry.

Henry was calm, laid back, but horribly stubborn about refusing to stop working when he clearly required a good eight hours of sleep and didn’t know when to give up, a trait of his that Joey admired, whenever his friend put it to good use, that is.

Henry was falling asleep, but he still strained to reach for the pen even as Joey snatched the writing utensil away and invoked a tired groan of annoyance from the animator. At least that’s what Henry tried to sound like, through the noise came out more like a dog’s high pitched whine.

The man was dangling almost comically from his chair and he nearly fell as Joey hoisted him upright and made certain he was comfortable, attempting to make him move again with another tactic.

“You won’t be able to produce any useful animations if you can’t focus, and your drawings are going to get thrown in the trash.”

“I don’t want that…” Henry mumbled, knowing where this was going, as Joey slid his hands to rest on his waist.

“That’s right, you don’t.”

Joey shook his head, a genuinely concerned look on his face. "Henry, Henry, Henry...you need more rest than you let on. How about you take the day off tomorrow and I finish it for you?"

"We don't have the same art style, Joey, won't they notice it looks different?" Henry sighed, rolling his eyes, arms crossed. “Plus, if I skip out on work, how am I going to animate and draw more cartoons?”

Both men sighed in unison, aware that they’d argue all night if they kept the conversation going, but Henry gave in with a resigned huff. 

Henry pulled his card and did the deed, then slid it back in its slot below the first three there: Norman Pol, Wally Franks, and of course, Susie Campbell. The small ding of Henry’s card being punched told Joey that he’d clocked out and Joey trailed close behind to reach up and make sure the overworked cartoonist didn’t keel over and risk injury. The world was as silent as if it ended in the night and the sun was still resolutely below horizon for the two walked toward Henry’s car.

Joey was usually okay to walk, which he appreciated. He didn’t like being stuck in that wheelchair. Besides, he wasn’t a particularly tall man even when standing, sitting down all the time only made him shorter, which did peeve him.

By midnight the darkness was almost absolute, only a smattering of luminous stars scatter the heavens. Even the moon has waned to almost nothing and Henry couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. But feeling Joey’s fingers rub soothing circles round his backside made the man comfortable, curving his spine into his boss’s touch.

The pair moved into the vehicle, Joey in the front seat and Henry dozing lightly in the passenger’s side. Once parked in Henry’s driveway, the raven haired man pushed a gentle hand to shake his arm to rouse him, heartbeat increasing as Henry sat upright and opened those deep toned mahogany eyes questioningly.

“Hey, Henry? You’re my best pal, and I can tell you anything, right? You’re not going to hate me, are you?”

Being in such a vulnerable state of mind wasn’t like Joey Drew. Since the start of the business, he held onto his own beliefs and policies with an unflinching grip, and always said what was on his brain, even if Henry disagreed. They were the best of best friends, and no matter what Joey said or did, Henry still cherished their friendship dearly. He couldn’t hate him. Never Joey. Never in a million years could he ever fathom hate.

“If I hated you, I’d never would’ve defended you from Brad Baker when he threatened to beat you up when you denied him your lunch money. I never would’ve sweet talked the manager at the coffee shop downtown into giving you your first job. I never would’ve taken care of you when you broke your leg climbing to the top of that tree we had in my backyard to impress Sue Hall.” 

He laughed. “Seriously, Joey. That was stupid. What were you even thinking?”

Henry’s arm moved around Joey and squeezed his shoulders in a firm comforting grip that drew him into his side. Joey felt himself melt, Henry’s fingers tracing circles on his arm (their linked arm) and it feels like all the encouragement Joey needs as the two sit free than either of them have felt safe doing for far too long. He realized something: he didn’t do that to impress Sue, the girl hardly noticed anyway. 

He did it to impress Henry.

Joey looked up at Henry and the blood in his head swirled and breathing became a fast and laborious effort where he doesn’t even want to blink he just wanted to appreciate all the details of Henry.

“Henry… ” Joey’s lips parted to form his name in a stuttered whisper and for the first time Joey realizes that his unabashed staring may come off as odd, but when tries to pull away Henry holds him tighter. His right arm rubbed up and down Henry’s own. His piercing stare met his without hesitation, and Joey gulped.

Joey looked up at Henry - he always felt like he’s looking up at him- and his head swims and his eyes can’t focus just right but he can still make out the handsome features on Henry’s face.

The guilt sat not on his chest but inside his brain. He could make amends in subtle ways, but confession was out of the question, even to his priest. Only in his silent prayers could he speak his heart to God and beg for His mercy. He didn't feel like he deserved the love of Jesus Christ but he clung to the shreds of his sanity.

Joey had never imagined that love was something he would ever attain. He had learned early, from the minister in his hometown, that there was something wrong with him. It gnawed at him, but it was possible he just hadn’t met the right girl yet, or that he was so driven by his work that he simply didn’t have time for “matters of the heart” as they put it. Joey had scoffed even then.   
  
He found that he swung both for men and women, but he was inevitably drawn to masculine characteristics, and even developed some romantic affections for several of his male classmates. Though his strong affections always came back to Henry. 

_I want us to be so much more than friends, even if people reject the notion of us being in relationship. Even if society says otherwise, I want to be unashamed to hold your hand in public, and wake up every morning next to you and see your smiling face. When I see you, it's as if space and time become the finest point imaginable, as if time collapses into one tiny speck and explodes at light speed. It's as if my universe begins and ends with you. I could run forever, search forever, but in the end, every path leads right back to your heart and soul. You’ve given me feelings I’m not supposed to have, but I love you, always._

His immediate confession died on his tongue, as Joey’s breathing grew uneven and he’d balled his hands into fists. Once again his emotions jagged, insides tight as he reached the end of his internal declaration. 

_Come sit with me; hold my hand. Eat chips with me. Look into my eyes, connect, because I've fallen for you._

He let himself imagine what his life would be like if he did give in to this desire, but all he could see was pain and suffering, among jeers and derogatory terms tossed at him. He shook his head to rid himelf of the thoughts. He wouldn't do that to Henry.

“Joey?”

Henry frowned deeply and the flicker of drowsiness in his gaze evaporated into extreme worry as he inched closer to the other borderline feverish man. He laid his hand lightly on his wrist, speaking with such a soft voice. felt his words calming him more by the way they were said. Joey felt as if he were wrapped in a blanket of his caring. And oh God, it hurt.

A hand came to pet his hair. Joey closed his eyes and relished in the contact, in the soft but thick hands of his friend. With a resigned minute of silence, he hung his head then moved his eyes upward to stare into Henry’s.

”I admit I haven’t been a good friend and I’m sorry....I know that you deserved - no deserve more credit. All throughout high school, I took advantage and never gave you what I owed. Never gave you an ounce of...of…” he replied weakly.

“...Credibility. I’ve followed the same formula since our opening of the studio: you’d come up with every plan, and I’d take that away without letting others give you recognition. I’d just take and take...They never knew who you were, who you _are_ , Henry.”

His mouth turned upward. In sincerity.

“But I can change that. I can change it all.”

Henry's achievements were often overlooked and with how much profit Joey raked in daily for Joey Drew Studios, he’d made it clear that he was a big deal, and used his partner to bounce concepts off of. But now, things would be different as Henry hoped. The skilled animator’s shoulders slumped in relief and Henry mouthed a hushed murmur of “Oh thank God.”

So Joey hadn’t committed murder or another crime. Henry would outright deny suspecting  him as a criminal for if he was, for Joey’s reputation among the neighbors and people in general was friendly and nothing to be suspicious over. No big speech awaited Joey in return on how grateful Henry is, and Drew expected as much. Henry was a man of few words.

“Glad you finally realized how things should be. But no matter what you’ve done or did in the past, I’m….proud to call you my friend.”

That was something Joey had never heard in his life. His entire existence had been based on seeking approval from someone, anyone, other than himself.

He fell silent, staring up at the other, a look of confusion on his face.

What was he supposed to say? Thank you? No, no. This was something he waited his whole life for. This was appreciation he always searched for, words he craved.

Thank you wasn't enough.

So he stared, body rigid in place. It was like the words had broken him.

Henry blinked, staring at him in straight confusion. He tilted his head and softly poked the other.

"Joey, are you..?"

“... Yeah," He still stood rigidly in incertitude. Dark eyes were soft and resting on the other, wider than they already were.

"I...didn't... expect that.”

Henry chuckled softly. “I mean it. Every word. We’ve come a long way together.”

“Yeah, we have…we’ve managed to accomplish what so many couldn’t...” Joey replied absentmindedly, before getting his thoughts on track. “So, Henry I.. _we_...have a project comin’ up...a big one and it’s going to make us rich and change the history of animation forever. It’s going to bigger and bolder than what we have going.”

“Pretty big statement there. So what makes this one different from the rest?”

His friend grinned. “It’s a secret that only you can know about. I’ll tell everyone the news only after cause’ you’re my top priority.”

Sliding from the passenger’s door and popping the bones in his arm and neck, Henry grabbed his briefcase off the seat and leaned in to laugh quietly. “Only me, huh?”

Joey glanced at Henry with misty viridescent optics. A gleaming shade of mahogany met his eyes, and Joey’s voice came out a breathless whisper when he replied.

“Yes 

...Just you.”

* * *

_Even if it hurts, I had to keep my secret. I can’t tell him how I really feel.  
_

_But maybe…_

_I can…_

_Show him…?_

* * *

The house was long and narrow, perhaps only twelve feet wide at the front, but it stretched some thirty feet back like a giant shoe box. It was two stories high and had a one story extension at the rear for the kitchen. The wooden framed sash windows were propped open with sticks and the brick work, perhaps once a jaunty yellow, looked dirty with over a hundred years of grime. A small rose garden had been planted in front, and although it had obviously once been carefully planned, small bites of numerous bugs had worn at the leaves and flowers.

Henry made a note to have an exterminator come and get his garden healthy and bright once more. Stepping inward to his home, he dropped his briefcase on the counter and called. “I’m home!”

As normal, no one greeted him. This could change if only he had the balls to say what he felt to Susie’s face.

She was easy going, friendly, and had a wonderful voice. She was more than approachable, but Henry didn’t have enough courage to let her know. Joey, on the other hand, would hardly be subtle about his approach and if asked, charm the hell out of her.

Henry wasn’t a charmer or much of a talker, and he had no clue how to handle his personal life aside from work, so advice from him would not help. 

Letting out another heaving sigh and rubbing one of his eyes with his palm, he stumbled upstairs to his bed, changed, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Many variations of spellbooks and magic littered across the occupant’s smooth desk, some open and some with sticky notes and bookmarks in the pages. Candlelight illuminated across worn parchment that he was very careful about touching, revealing a single depiction of an ink blob and six circles surrounding the marking.

Lines connected each circle to the ink, and in arrogant triumph, the observer smirked - just a small pouting of the lips; a narrowing of the eyes and a tilting of the head. In the recesses of his basement, more candles mixed with lanterns along the walls lit to expose a large Bendy statue and the accompanying merchandise placed in front of and around the monument.

The lights reflected in the lens of his glasses, making his green eyes appear pitch black.

“Soon…”

he whispered as he drew a small heart around Henry’s name on a lone piece set off to the side.

“ _Soon…_

_I’ll make our dreams come true.”_


End file.
